Modern hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, typically include digital electronics to enhance the wearer's listening experience. Hearing aids are electronic instruments worn in or around the ear that compensate for hearing losses by specially amplifying sound. Hearing aids use transducer and electro-mechanical components which are connected via wires to the hearing aid circuitry.
Hearing assistance devices include the capability to receive audio from a variety of sources. For example, a hearing assistance device may receive audio from a transmitter or streamer attached to a television (TV). While receiving a streaming transmission, the audio from the hearing assistance device microphone is often attenuated to enhance the listener's experience while streaming audio from a wireless device. However, a hearing impaired person that uses or wears a hearing assistance device can become involved with listening to TV programming or other streamed content and might not hear a doorbell, a fire alarm, burglar alarm, weather alert, carbon monoxide alarm, or other serious alert. Additionally, a spouse, family member or friend might want to talk to the hearing assistance device user while they are watching the TV or otherwise not paying attention. What is needed in the art is an improved system for getting an audible message to a user of a hearing assistance device that the user would otherwise not receive.